Durban: Last week Nishelle Reddy came face to face with the police officer accused of causing an accident that left her paralysed.
Captain Kubendran Siva, 46, a member of the SAPS Dog Unit, appeared in the Verulam Magistrate's Court last Wednesday.
Reddy, 26, her husband, Luvashen, and family members gathered outside court and protested, demanding justice.
It is alleged that Siva crashed his state vehicle into Reddy’s Hilux bakkie near Cornubia before fleeing the scene.
He was arrested after witnesses, who took down his number plate, handed the information to the police.
He is facing charges of reckless and negligent driving. Siva is currently out on bail.
The matter was adjourned to June for further investigations.
Reddy, a transport co-ordinator, was in the vehicle with her two children, aged 5 and 4.
The children escaped with minor injuries but Reddy’s spinal cord was crushed. She was left paralysed from her chest down.
She was admitted to the eThekwini Heart Hospital where doctors told her family that she would never be able to walk again.
Two weeks ago Reddy was discharged from the hospital.
“This accident has changed my life,” said Reddy.
“To be honest I am still coming to terms with my condition. It’s been really challenging for me because my life has changed so drastically. I have had to employ a caregiver for myself because I constantly need assistance with everything that I need to do. I have also had to employ a nanny for my kids because I can no longer care for them as I did. It’s been emotionally and physically draining.”
Reddy said she remembers the details of the accident.
“I have thought about the events leading up to the accident and know that there is nothing I could have done differently to avert the accident. It has been emotionally difficult for my kids. They have a lot of questions about why I have been doing things differently and when I will start to walk again. My husband has to leave work early every day so that he can take me to therapy. Renovations have had to be made to make our home wheelchair friendly.”
She said she is unable to work and the cost incurred as a result of her condition has been high.
“I’m not looking for vengeance, but any decision by the courts to make our roads a safer place will be welcome. This is especially so when it comes to civil servants, like the SAPS, that the taxpayer has entrusted to serve and protect the ordinary citizens.”
Police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said a case of reckless and negligent driving was being investigated by Verulam SAPS.
She said: “The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene after the accident. Three people sustained injuries and were taken to hospital for medical attention.”
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